Svartárkot – Where culture meets nature
An international centre for research and education on Icelandic culture and nature
is planned for Svartárkot in Bárðardalur, Iceland. The idea was raised in
collaboration between the Reykjavík Academy and the residents of Svartárkot, and
various parties have been recruited to participate in a planning committee.
The Place
At Svartárkot, the forces of nature meet the human world. A farm at the boundary
between inhabited and uninhabited territory, furthest inland in Bárðardalur Valley, it is
one of the most remote homesteads in the country. To the south and east lie frightful
uninhabitable areas while colourful cultural history is found down in the valley.
Svartárkot (Black River Cottage) lies on the western bank of Svartárvatn (Black River
Lake), at the southernmost point of Fljótsheiði (River Heath), around 400 meters above
sea level, at the roots of Ódáðahraun (Foul Deed Lava). To the south, the wilderness
extends all the way to the glacier Vatnajökull (Water Glacier), by far the largest glacier in
Europe. Ancient settlements are known far south along Skjálfandafljót (Trembling
River); to the north along Fljótsheiði are remains of numerous 19th century heathsettlements. From Svartárvatn, the river Svartá (Black River) flows along countless
twists and turns to the north until it joins Skjálfandafljót. Suðurá (South River) flows into
it, tripling the water flow. Because of the location, the residents of Svartárkot live in
close proximity to nature, more sensitive to the forces of nature than many others.
From Svartárkot one is faced with a vast open expanse surrounded by a ring of
mountains. Among these are Dyngjufjöll (Shield Volcano Mountains) and Herðubreið
(Broad Shoulder), the queen of the wastelands, not to mention the snow-white
Bárðarbunga (Bárður's Bump) under the Vatnajökull glacier. The area is a paradise for
geologists because of the lava field, tephra layers, etc. Grassy meadows and shrub
pastures meet the black lava, sand and bright blue spring water. All this reflects the
contrasts of nature and an enchanting wilderness peace prevails. By the river and the lake,
birds nest which nest nowhere in Europe besides Iceland, for instance, the common loon
and Barrow's goldeneye. Among other species are scaups, tufted ducks and long-tailed
ducks, as well as other duck varieties. Numerous other water- and shorebirds nest by the
lake. One of the most prominent birds of this area is the Gyrfalcon. It is possible to see
this rare and magnificent creature nest in the vicinity of Svartárkot.
At Svartárkot there is a long tradition of wilderness journeys in all seasons. From
Svartárkot, jeep and hiking trails extend south along the Skjálfandafljót river and to the
wells of Suðurá River, Herðubreiðarlindir and the great volcano Askja, where the
American astronauts practiced before they went to the moon. Closer at hand is the
Skjálfandafljót River with beautiful waterfalls, Aldeyjarfoss and Hrafnabjargafossar.
Svartárkot maintains a handsome sheep husbandry, and there is excellent trout fishing in
the lake. A few outbuildings made from turf are still in use; one of these is the smoke
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house in which the famous Svartárvatn trout is smoked. Down in the valley is a
flourishing settlement and a long and extensive cultural history which, from the first
stories onward, reflects people's struggle with the forces of nature. The valley is
mentioned already in a very unusual story about Gnúpa-Bárður in the medieval Book of
Settlements and also in other ancient sagas. There are a great many sources from later
centuries, which relate, for instance, to the manors Mýri and Stóruvellir. Using personal
sources from the nineteenth century, it is possible to sketch a remarkably full and clear
picture of human life and culture in the valley. The poet Stephan G. Stephansson also
lived there for three years before he emigrated to Canada. Furthermore, the residents of
Bárðardalur played a major role in early migrations to America, as 40 people from that
district traveled with the first big group of emigrants in the summer of 1873; half of them
went to Brazil, the others to North America.
An international centre for research and education
At Svartárkot and Bárðardalur, most of the contrasts and diversity which characterize
Icelandic nature and culture are within reach. The history of Icelandic literature and
culture - literary activity over the ages, which developed in the wake of the ancient saga
writing - is of great interest to international cultural studies. Unusually widespread
literacy and writing ability brought it about that country pastors and self-educated
common people wrote down immense quantities of literature, from copies of ancient
sagas and poetry to translations of world literature and original compositions. This
literature and personal sources provide insight into the mindset, settlement history, local
life and, not least, the coexistence of man and nature through the ages.
The location of Svartárkot on the boundary between wilderness and human settlement
makes the place extraordinary; this was the inspiration for the idea of founding an
international centre for research and education there. A variety of international courses
of the highest quality on the university level (both undergraduate and graduate) will be
offered on the cultural history of Iceland in earlier times, local nature and culture, and the
relationship between nature and culture in Iceland. These courses will be in the spirit of
modern cultural studies, but in the long run a new area of research will be developed
which will relate to the view of nature which is implicit in manuscript culture. Emphasis
will be placed on the relationship between the ancient literature and the present, the thirst
for knowledge and the rapid development to modernity. Foreign universities will be
invited to send students to these courses, which will be assessed for credit in accordance
with international standards.
The project is a part of the effort to make later manuscript culture into an international
area of research like the medieval sagas. It is also a part of a new view of Icelandic
studies. Furthermore, it is consistent with one of the most positive aspects of
globalization: that the local is made international. The attention of both tourists and the
international scholarly community has been directed in ever greater measure to the
specific and local; this will be exploited in organizing the centre.
In conjunction with the centre, focused cultural research will be developed examining
Icelandic manuscript culture and local culture in an international light. It will be possible
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to study the relationship between man and nature as reflected in these sources, for
instance, ideas about the central highlands and their exploration, from mysterious places
to modern science. It would be possible to study people’s struggle with the forces of
nature over time and also to establish courses on the philosophy of aporia and museum
culture and on the philosophy of hiking. Later, a workshop will be established for
scholarship and art related to the main areas of emphasis of the centre.
A Gyrfalcon Centre would bring people closer to these rare birds and would be the only
centre of this kind in the world. It would bring people closer to these spectacular birds,
with the opportunity to watch the birds “live” using CCTV cameras and to learn about
their conservation. Another possibility would be to have an observatory, to obtain a
telescope and aim it at the dark. In this way it would be possible to extend tourism
throughout the year.
Along with the establishment of the courses, high-quality academic tourist services will
be developed, in addition to which the centre will be promoted as a venue for small
conferences and workshops. Thus research and the development of academic tourism
will be built up in parallel to the establishment of the centre. Through this development,
the local culture will be made visible, for instance, cuisine, literary and musical
traditions, wilderness excursions, agricultural practices, etc.
It will also be an important object to make the cultural fruits of the centre visible through
seminars, publication and other means, in addition to one project which could commence
immediately: to establish an Askja Museum. The volcano Askja is in the vicinity; it
would be appropriate to collect all information about Askja in one place and establish an
Askja Museum at Svartárkot. Ideas are also in circulation about setting up the exhibit
"Wild men in Ódáðahraun" in the community centre at Kiðagil in Bárðardalur. In due
course, the centre will set up exhibitions in collaboration with students in cultural
communications at the University of Iceland; such exhibits could become a part of a
highland centre, a national park institution.
Courses
The courses will be supervised by the Reykjavík Academy and will be designed in such a
way that experience of the place, the farm, settlement and wilderness will be exploited to
the utmost, as well as the dynamic connection between past and present and the
integration of ecology and cultural studies. In the same way, the courses will be
connected with today's society as well as with the environment; for instance, it would be
possible to fish in the lake, earn the catch and eat it.
A diverse range of courses will be offered, with lectures at the centre, 2-3 day journeys in
the central highlands, and day trips to the local history museums as well as to spectacular
waterfalls and geothermal areas and to the community archive at Húsavík. Other possible
excursions and activities include whale watching, hikes, visits to farms, lectures on
stories in the past and present at the sites of abandoned farms; specific programs could
emphasize material culture, folkways, cuisine, horsemanship or anything else which
might emerge.
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The courses will be intended for students in cultural studies, literature, history,
anthropology, folklore, geography, geology ecology, and the natural sciences, and
courses will be developed which will focus on integrating the study of culture and of
nature.
There will be a survey course intended for undergraduate students, in which a brief
overview of traditional history and images of Iceland will be provided and manuscript
culture examined in relation to it - the creative aspect of the culture to the present day.
More specialized courses for graduate students will also be developed, on manuscript
culture, peasant studies, natural science and the coexistence of man and nature.
Topics covered in the courses could include:
- The art of the saga: sagas and the reality of medieval literature / folklore
- The manor and the cot: Mýri, Stóruvellir, Lundarbrekka
- Literary culture / manuscripts
- Stephan G. Stephansson and the westward migration to North America and Brazil
- Culture and the individual / personal sources
- Man and nature – as reflected in sources over the centuries
- Archaeology and the heath-settlements
- Ecology, geology and geography
All usable material which is available in English will be collected and Icelandic materials
will be prepared for use by foreign students. The possibilities of visual and digital
presentation will be exploited, for instance by distributing material electronically in
advance and starting an experimental project in creative electronic communications.
The planning committee:
Aðalheiður Lilja Guðmundsdóttir, philosopher, Reykjavík Academy
Ari Páll Pálsson, anthropologist, Húsavík Academic Center
Edward H. Huijbens, geographer, head of the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre
Guðrún Lárusdóttir, biologist, head of continuing education, Agricultural University of
Iceland
Guðrún Tryggvadóttir, teacher and farmer, Svartárkot
Kári Bjarnason, codicologist, Reykjavík Academy
Kristinn Schram, folklorist, Reykjavík Academy
Oddný Eir Ævarsdóttir, author and philosopher, Reykjavík Academy
Oddur Sigurðsson, geologist, National Energy Authority
Óli Halldórsson, environmental scientist, head of the Húsavík Academic Center
Olöf Gerður Sigfúsdóttir, anthropologist, Reykjavík Academy
Ragnhildur Sigurðardóttir, conservation specialist, University of Washington
Sigurður Gylfi Magnússon, historian, Reykjavík Academy
Sigurlína Tryggvadóttir of Svartárkot, geographer, Soil Conservation Service of Iceland
Uggi Ævarsson, archaeologist, Reykjavík Academy
Viðar Hreinsson, literary specialist, head of the Reykjavík Academy
Þorvarður Árnason, natural scientist, head of the Hornafjörður University Centre
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